Deposits of clastic carbonate-dominated (calciclastic) sedimentary slope systems in the rock record have been identified mostly as linearly-consistent carbonate apron deposits, even though most ancient clastic carbonate slope deposits fit the submarine fan systems better. Calciclastic submarine fans are consequently rarely described and are poorly understood. Subsequently, very little is known especially in mud-dominated calciclastic submarine fan systems. Presented in this study are a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) that reveals a >250 m thick calciturbidite complex deposited in a calciclastic submarine fan setting. Seven facies are recognised from core and thin section characterisation and are grouped into three carbonate turbidite sequences. They include: 1) Calciturbidites, comprising mostly of highto low-density, wavy-laminated bioclast-rich facies; 2) low-density densite mudstones which are characterised by planar laminated and unlaminated muddominated facies; and 3) Calcidebrites which are muddy or hyper-concentrated debrisflow deposits occurring as poorly-sorted, chaotic, mud-supported floatstones. These

Phd by thesis

Supported metal nanostructures are the most widely used type of heterogeneous catalyst in industrial processes. The size of metal particles is a key factor in determining the performance of such catalysts. In particular, because low-coordinated metal atoms often function as the catalytically active sites, the specific activity per metal atom usually increases with decreasing size of the metal particles. However, the surface free energy of metals increases significantly with decreasing particle size, promoting aggregation of small clusters. Using an appropriate support material that strongly interacts with the metal species prevents this aggregation, creating stable, finely dispersed metal clusters with a high catalytic activity, an approach industry has used for a long time. Nevertheless, practical supported metal catalysts are inhomogeneous and usually consist of a mixture of sizes from nanoparticles to subnanometer clusters. Such heterogeneity not only reduces the metal atom efficiency but also frequent...

Single-atom catalysts: a new frontier in heterogeneous catalysis.

Hollow micro-/nanostructures are of great interest in many current and emerging areas of technology. Perhaps the best-known example of the former is the use of fly-ash hollow particles generated from coal power plants as partial replacement for Portland cement, to produce concrete with enhanced strength and durability. This review is devoted to the progress made in the last decade in synthesis and applications of hollow micro-/nanostructures. We present a comprehensive overview of synthetic strategies for hollow structures. These strategies are broadly categorized into four themes, which include well-established approaches, such as conventional hard-templating and soft-templating methods, as well as newly emerging methods based on sacrificial templating and template-free synthesis. Success in each has inspired multiple variations that continue to drive the rapid evolution of the field. The Review therefore focuses on the fundamentals of each process, pointing out advantages and disadvantages where appropriate. Strategies for generating more complex hollow structures, such as rattle-type and nonspherical hollow structures, are also discussed. Applications of hollow structures in lithium batteries, catalysis and sensing, and biomedical applications are reviewed.

Hollow Micro-/Nanostructures: Synthesis and Applications**

As the field of nanomedicine emerges, there is a lag in research surrounding the topic of nanoparticle (NP) toxicity, particularly concerned with mechanisms of action. The continuous emergence of bacterial resistance has challenged the research community to develop novel antibiotic agents. Metal NPs are among the most promising of these because show strong antibacterial activity. This review summarizes and discusses proposed mechanisms of antibacterial action of different metal NPs. These mechanisms of bacterial killing include the production of reactive oxygen species, cation release, biomolecule damages, ATP depletion, and membrane interaction. Finally, a comprehensive analysis of the effects of NPs on the regulation of genes and proteins (transcriptomic and proteomic) profiles is discussed.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12951-017-0308-z.pdf

Metal nanoparticles: understanding the mechanisms behind antibacterial activity.

It is well known that urbanization and industrialization have resulted in the rapidly increasing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are a major contributor to the formation of secondary pollutants (e.g., tropospheric ozone, PAN (peroxyacetyl nitrate), and secondary organic aerosols) and photochemical smog. The emission of these pollutants has led to a large decline in air quality in numerous regions around the world, which has ultimately led to concerns regarding their impact on human health and general well-being. Catalytic oxidation is regarded as one of the most promising strategies for VOC removal from industrial waste streams. This Review systematically documents the progresses and developments made in the understanding and design of heterogeneous catalysts for VOC oxidation over the past two decades. It addresses in detail how catalytic performance is often drastically affected by the pollutant sources and reaction conditions. It also highlights the primary routes for catalyst deactivation and discusses protocols for their subsequent reactivation. Kinetic models and proposed oxidation mechanisms for representative VOCs are also provided. Typical catalytic reactors and oxidizers for industrial VOC destruction are further discussed. We believe that this Review will provide a great foundation and reference point for future design and development in this field.

/pdf/recent-advances-in-the-catalytic-oxidation-of-volatile-zw2c35dbg7.pdf

Recent Advances in the Catalytic Oxidation of Volatile Organic Compounds: A Review Based on Pollutant Sorts and Sources.

Zinc-iodine batteries (ZIBs) have attracted widespread attention because of their efficient capacity for ion transport and safety. However, the shuttle effect and physical properties of iodine species tremendously hinder their practical applications. Herein, we report a nitrogen-doped biomass litchi-shell derived porous carbon (marked as N-LPC) as the iodine host for ZIBs. The porous-rich structure of N-LPC is favorable for iodine loading and electron/ion transfers. Furthermore, the doping of heteroatomic nitrogen provides abundant anchoring sites to achieve strong interaction with iodine, thus the self-discharge can be suppressed effectively. Accordingly, the N-LPC/I2 composite cathode exhibits a specific capacity of 127 mAh/g at 100 mA g−1, as well as excellent rate capability and cycle stability. This study provides a strategy for discovering the cost-effective carbonaceous iodine host material. 

Nitrogen-doped litchi-shell derived porous carbon as an efficient iodine host for zinc-iodine batteries

Progress on selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia (NH3‐SCO) over Ag-based catalysts

Catalytic CO2 hydrogenation is a promising way to produce chemicals and has recently received much attention; however, designing catalysts with special product selectivity still remains a challenge. Here, we interestingly found that the Pt–Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst tended to have high CH4 selectivity, while both Pt/γ-Al2O3 and Ni/γ-Al2O3 had high CO selectivity. The characterization results showed that the Pt–Ni bimetallic catalyst was composed of Pt nanoparticles with surrounding Ni atoms. The results of in situ diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the direct disassociation of CO2 to CO on the Pt/γ-Al2O3 and the decomposition of formate species to CO on Ni/γ-Al2O3. However, the presence of Pt–Ni bimetallic sites changed the hydrogenation pathway, in which the electronic interaction between Pt particles and surrounding Ni atoms promoted the further hydrogenation of formate species to CH4. This study provides insights into the understanding of the mechanisms of CO2 hydrogenation on bimetallic catalysts. 

Enhanced CH<sub>4</sub> Selectivity in CO<sub>2</sub> Hydrogenation on Bimetallic Pt–Ni Catalysts with Pt Nanoparticles Modified by Isolated Ni Atoms

Formaldehyde (HCHO), as one of the prominent indoor pollutants, causes many health-related problems. Although the detection of HCHO is a widespread concern and a variety of detection methods have been continuously developed, the volatile organic chemical (VOC) interference remains to be solved. Here, we report a highly sensitive and selective method for HCHO detection, relying on the selective electrochemical oxidation of formaldehyde catalyzed by aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) on a Cu electrode. The detection signal exhibits a standard power law relationship against the analytes with a broad detection range of 10-5-10-15 M and a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.46 × 10-15 M, far below the indoor safe exposure limit (about 10-9 M) for formaldehyde. In comparison to the standard spectrophotometry method, the ALDH-based electrochemical method shows a much high specificity to formaldehyde among common VOCs, such as benzene, toluene, and xylene. This simple yet effective detection technique opens up a new path for developing advanced formaldehyde sensors with high sensitivity and selectivity.

Highly Sensitive and Selective Detection of Formaldehyde via Bio-Electrocatalysis over Aldehyde Dehydrogenase.

Along with the rapid development and ever-deepening understanding of nanoscience and nanotechnology, nanomaterials hold promise to mimic the highly evolved biological exquisite nanostructures and sophisticated functions. Here, inspired by the ubiquitous antibacterial nanostructures on the wing surfaces of some insects, we develop a NiCo2 O4 nanozyme with self-adaptive hierarchical nanostructure that can capture bacteria of various morphotypes via the physico-mechanical interaction between the nanostructure and bacteria. Moreover, the developed biomimetic nanostructure further exhibits superior peroxidase-like catalytic activity, which can catalytically generate highly toxic reactive oxygen species that disrupt bacterial membranes and induce bacterial apoptosis. Therefore, the mechano-catalytic coupling property of this NiCo2 O4 nanozyme allows for an extensive and efficient antibacterial application, with no concerns of antimicrobial resistance. This work suggests a promising strategy for the rational design of advanced antibacterial materials by mimicking biological antibiosis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Changbin Zhang

Papers

Nitrogen-doped litchi-shell derived porous carbon as an efficient iodine host for zinc-iodine batteries

Progress on selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia (NH3‐SCO) over Ag-based catalysts

Enhanced CH<sub>4</sub> Selectivity in CO<sub>2</sub> Hydrogenation on Bimetallic Pt–Ni Catalysts with Pt Nanoparticles Modified by Isolated Ni Atoms

Highly Sensitive and Selective Detection of Formaldehyde via Bio-Electrocatalysis over Aldehyde Dehydrogenase.

Bioinspired hierarchical self-assembled nanozyme for efficient antibacterial treatment.